Former Oklahoma State player sues coach, says Marcus Smart hazed him

Stevie Clark claims he was urged to take psychotropic drugs, which led to his depression. (USATSI)

Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford is being sued by one of his former basketball players.

Stevie Clark, who played for the Cowboys during the 2013-14 season, has filed a suit against Ford, and the university, that claims he was coerced into taking mind-altering drugs during his time at OSU. The lawsuit is embedded in full at the bottom of this story.

Clark also alleges his recruitment to Oklahoma State included vows of gifting him a car — specifically, a Camaro — something that never came to be once he got on campus.

The Tulsa World first obtained Clark’s suit, which also alleges, per the World, that “Clark claims that he faced ‘hazing and disrespect’ from teammate Marcus Smart. … When he expressed frustration to Ford, Clark alleges he was put on psychotropic drugs without his consent. He was required to take the medication to continue practicing with the team, according to the complaint.”

(Smart’s 2013-14 season, by the by, became instantly infamous when he had a physical altercation with a Texas Tech fan.)

Clark’s suit and his lawyer state that the side effects of the drugs in question led to thoughts of suicide and murder. The also supposedly led to Clark being depressed. The lawsuit claims Clark sought counseling for his depression in December of 2013, soon after taking the drugs.

“Coach Ford required Stevie to take the meds if he wanted to keep practicing with the team,” according to the complaint.

Oklahoma State responded to the lawsuit by deeming it “utterly baseless” in an email to the Tulsa World.

Clark was kicked off the team on Feb. 3, 2014, after he was cited for “outraging public decency.” The catalyst for the charge: urinating in public on a moving car. It was his third major incident while a member of the team. Clark was previously charged (and suspended) that season for marijuana possession, in addition to sitting out for undisclosed reasons at the beginning of the season. The former top-75 recruit averaged 5.3 points with the Pokes.

“We care about Stevie and wish nothing but the best for him,” Ford said in a statement upon Clark’s 2014 dismissal. “We want him to find success in his future, wherever that may be.”

But the suit accuses Ford and Oklahoma State of blocking Clark from transferring to any Division I school. Clark wound up transferring to Iowa-based Indian Hills Community College, where he left before the 2014-15 season began.

Clark is now seeking myriad payouts on damages to his could-have-been basketball career, in addition to mental-health and emotional harm.

Featured Casino

Bovada is one of the safest sportsbooks around. Bet on NFL Football, College Football, NBA Basketball, NHL Hockey & more. Get all the latest NBA props, vegas odds & futures. Raise your game and stay on top of the latest sports betting news with Bovada.lv. Bet online with Bovada today!Bet Now